


The Things We Do For The Love Of Camelot (And Also Each Other)

by tehfanglyfish



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Basically All of My Favorite Tropes, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Sex Pollen, Sharing Body Heat, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-11-05 00:23:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17908526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tehfanglyfish/pseuds/tehfanglyfish
Summary: As Morgana schemes with Morgause to destroy Uther's legacy, Arthur and Merlin must travel alone to stop her. Along the way, they are forced into several awkward situations.





	The Things We Do For The Love Of Camelot (And Also Each Other)

**Author's Note:**

> Not my franchise, not my characters, not making any money for me.

Once upon a time, there was a young woman who, through no fault of her own, was the unacknowledged, illegitimate daughter of Uther Pendragon. Though Gorlois had raised her as his own and she had loved him dearly, much of her life had been spent at Uther’s court after her mother and her adoptive father died. She accidentally learned the truth of her parentage just as she discovered her magical abilities, something else that was no fault of her own, but that would’ve compelled Uther to punish her, possibly with death. Feeling betrayed and fearing retribution, Morgana fled to the arms of her half-sister, Morgause. There, Morgana learned to control her magic and grew more powerful. As is often the case with tragic figures, Morgana thought she’d found someone who cared for her when Morgause actually had plans to use her as a weapon against Camelot, now under the rule of Uther’s son, Arthur.

“I will completely destroy Uther’s legacy,” Morgana promised her sister.

Word of this threat to the kingdom soon reached Arthur. Hoping to save Camelot and possibly Morgana, too, he set out with his manservant, Merlin, who happened to be the most powerful sorcerer to walk the Earth, not that Arthur knew. Though Arthur typically traveled in the company of his knights, on this particular occasion he and Merlin departed the castle alone, leaving a note to his council that Camelot was facing a dire threat. The details were vague. Perhaps it was a rival monarch plotting against the kingdom. It could possibly have been a rabid magical beast. The point on which Arthur was crystal clear was that for the threat to be successfully subdued, it was absolutely vital that Arthur and Merlin travel with no entourage and under false identities. No one could know of their actions, otherwise the mission would be compromised. Arthur hoped the secrecy might afford Morgana some protection if he could win her back.

And so the two departed alone, under the premise of a hunting trip. The first stage of their mission required them to travel to a town almost a full day’s ride from the castle. The journey had been somewhat tense, as the threat to the kingdom weighed heavily on the pair and familial emotions preyed on Arthur. Attempts at banter fell flat and the long ride left them exhausted. Arriving at dusk, they sought lodging in the town’s only tavern.

“My dear lady,” Arthur said to the woman behind the bar, “we are but weary travelers seeking accommodation for the night.”

Merlin had suggested that Arthur abandon his royal attire, but his speech patterns hadn’t yet adjusted to being one of the masses.  

“Huh?”

“Do you have any rooms?” Merlin translated.

“One bed, two people, three gold coins.”

“Ah,” said Arthur, “what would be the price for two beds for two people?”

“We’ve only got the one. Take or it leave it.”

It was at this point that Arthur began to question the wisdom of hiding his identity on this mission.

“Very well. We shall take it.”

Despite concerns about the overall cleanliness of the establishment, the two travelers ordered food served from the tavern kitchen. It wasn’t the best meal either of them had ever eaten, but it did fulfill the very basic purpose of warding off hunger. Deciding that sleep was the best course of action, Arthur and Merlin made their way up the stairs to the room reserved for them.

Opening the door, a sense of dismay overwhelmed them. As promised, there was only one bed, and a small one at that. While it could’ve fit three times over in Arthur’s own bed back in Camelot, it occupied almost all of the floorspace in the room. It was possible to open and close the door – barely – and there was a small area to set down their bags, but that was about it.

“This will not do,” Arthur said. “There’s not enough space on the floor for you to lie down.”

“Arthur,” replied Merlin, “you are my king and you have my unwavering loyalty and obedience.”

Arthur snorted.

“But,” Merlin continued, “there is no way that I am sleeping on the floor in this inn. I really don’t like my boot soles touching it. Complain about my cleaning all you want but this is just…”

Merlin had a point, Arthur conceded.

“Fine. We’ll leave and camp in the forest. I’m not really sure that I want to see the state of sheets anyway.”

As Arthur turned to head back to the stairs, an inconvenient thunder clap rang out, followed by the sounds of rain pounding on the roof of the inn.

Merlin sighed and walked into the room. As Arthur was distracted, cursing at the weather, Merlin used the opportunity to cast a quick disinfecting charm on the bed.

“Eh, Arthur, it’s not so bad once you light a candle. These sheets smell like fresh lavender.”

Arthur gave him a look but conceded that in the candlelight, the bed didn’t appear as terrifying as it had when they’d first encountered it.

“We’ll… we’ll have to share,” Merlin stated.

“It would be much easier if I could just reveal that I’m the king and demand to be put up in the best house of the town.”

“True. But that might compromise our mission to find Morgana.”

“Fine. I sleep on the left. Ready me for bed.”

The chamber afforded them little room for removing boots, changing clothes, or any other bedtime preparations, but they muddled through, only tripping over each other a few times in the process. The meal, the inn, and the threats to Camelot had kept their thoughts occupied and it was only after they both climbed under the covers that they began to realize the true logistical challenge of sharing a bed – that of not touching. Each man hovered close to his respective edge, attempting not to fall off while simultaneously trying to avoid physical contact. Merlin couldn’t breathe. Arthur held completely still. It took ages for them to drift off.

They awoke the next morning wedged against one another. If Arthur’s arm had draped itself over Merlin’s shoulder, pulling him close to the king, and if Merlin had snuggled into the body behind him, well, it could be attributed to exhaustion after a long day of travel and a general lack of space for limbs in the small bed. The fact that they were both extremely well-rested was nothing more than the side effect of a hard sleep. The warm, comforting press of a familiar body had nothing to do with it. Nothing at all.

“Um…” Arthur began.

“Well…” agreed Merlin.

“We shall never speak of this again,” the king decreed.

As feelings are often easier repressed than dealt with, the two dressed, packed, and resumed their mission.

Over the next few days, Arthur and Merlin made numerous inquiries about Morgana and her potential threat to Camelot, stopping in various towns and villages to speak with shady figures who held clues about her location. Though focused on the task at hand, neither had forgotten about the first night spent in the tavern, though they had both adhered to Arthur’s command and not mentioned it. The locales they visited had improved accommodations and it seemed that sharing a bed was simply a one-time occurrence. This held true until they reached the monastery.

Though Arthur hadn’t actually lifted Camelot’s ban on magic when he ascended to the throne, he had largely stopped enforcing it. He knew how much his father hated magic and the Old Religion. However, Arthur did appreciate nuance in a way that Uther never could and decided that there was simply no reason to execute someone for trying to heal a loved one or save crops that were failing. Arthur also recognized that powerful adherents of the Old Religion might be able to offer assistance with his current predicament involving Morgana’s impending magical attack, and so he decided to visit a monastery housing Old Religion priestesses.

There had been, Arthur admitted, some initial awkwardness and hostility when the door to the monastery opened, but after engaging in what could only be described as groveling, the high priestess granted admittance to the king and his servant. He had, of course, pretended to be but a lowly traveler and not Uther Pendragon’s son. Though the high priestess contended that her anger came from an opposition to men entering her facility, Arthur had a suspicion that she might have seen through his cover story. It didn’t help to ease his fears that she and Merlin were exchanging long stares with one another. If Arthur didn’t know better, he would’ve thought that they were mentally communicating.

“If it’s not too much trouble, might my… companion and I shelter in your monastery for the night?”

“Well, weary traveler, we have been known to offer hospitality to visitors and we do have a sleeping chamber set aside for this purpose. However, we do not allow… companions… to stay together if they are unwed.”

She gave Arthur a challenging smile. He almost faltered but then remembered what was at stake if he failed on this mission.

“Ah, your eminence, it just so happens that my companion and I are married.”

Merlin gaped at Arthur, his face turning pink.

“It is something that we did in secret and don’t share with many because of the hostility that we could encounter, but…”

The priestess cut Arthur off. “I think you are lying to stay in my monastery. You will need to convince me otherwise if you wish to spend the night here here.”

“This man…” Arthur began and then gave Merlin a pleading look, hoping that his servant wouldn’t act too surprised or indignant at what Arthur was about to say. “This man means more to me than anyone else in the world. We have spent upwards of a decade together. He has been at my side through the lowest points of my entire life, giving me strength when I could not carry on alone. He makes sure that I eat and sleep. He does my laundry and listens when I share my deepest fears. It’s true that I provide him with a home and material support in life, but he’s done far more for me than I could ever repay. When I sleep with him in my arms, I feel safe and content. I cherish his presence and I would be lost without him.”

Arthur stopped, hoping that this was enough to win over the priestess. Merlin’s face had gone from pink to scarlet as he stared at the floor, unable to make eye contact with Arthur.

“That was a moving speech, traveler, and I almost believe you. However, words can be deceptive. To fully convince me, you must engage in a physical display of affection. Kiss your husband.”

Arthur gulped. Merlin’s eyes went wide. The priestess appeared deeply amused.

“We are… unaccustomed to showing… our… affection in public, your eminence.”

“Ah, so you don’t actually love him, then. This is all an elaborate ruse to…”

As she was speaking, Merlin stepped forward. Giving Arthur an apologetic look, he took Arthur’s face in his hands and, while softly stroking Arthur’s cheeks, brought their mouths together. Though Arthur was initially too stunned to react, Merlin performed admirably, parting his lips. The press of Merlin’s tongue brought Arthur back from his momentary stupor and he opened his mouth to allow Merlin access. The king wrapped his arms around Merlin, pulling the man closer. Arthur knew that he should be more concerned with the high priestess, the safety of his kingdom, and preserving royal protocol, but his brain had become preoccupied with Merlin – his mouth, his hands, his bum. Oh! Arthur realized his own hands had wandered a bit below Merlin’s waist.

“Ahem.” The high priestess cleared her throat to snap them out of their reverie.

“I am… thoroughly convinced. And regretting a vow of celibacy, if the full truth is told. You may stay at my monastery for as long as you need to.”

For several days, Merlin and Arthur stayed in the monastery. Arthur spent much of the time socializing with the priestesses. A life at court had left him skilled in social niceties and his distraction gave Merlin the needed time to slip away and peruse the ancient tomes in the monastery library that might help them defeat Morgana’s threat to Camelot. In an effort to protect their mission, they continued to maintain the charade of their marriage, holding hands, embracing, and even stealing chaste kisses throughout the day. Though they were afforded privacy each night in their chamber, they opted to share the solitary bed provided. After all, if a priestess were to suddenly burst in for some reason, Merlin sleeping on the floor might lead to some uncomfortable questions. And though they continued to follow Arthur’s directive to not speak of such things, they found that they often awoke holding on to one another even though this bed was far larger than the one in the grubby tavern.

After having spent a week in the monastery, Merlin and Arthur conceded that they had learned all that they could from the books of the Old Religion. Just before they were about to depart, the high priestess took the king aside.

“Arthur Pendragon, I wish you well on your journey.”

“Thank you… er... I mean, I’m not… you’ve mistaken…”

“Hush. You are the Once and Future King and your companion is the Great Emrys. We have known this since you arrived and we are happy that we have been able to help you on your quest. You are not your father and we admire your efforts to redeem your sister. I regret that Morgause reached her before we could.”

“Thank you,” Arthur said, “for you aid and your hospitality. Though, if you knew who we were, then you also know that we’re not actually…”

“Officially married? Yes, we knew. But you are bonded and destined to be together. When you’re ready for the formal ceremony, we’ll be waiting. Now go. You have a kingdom to save.”

The two men rode away from the monastery in a glum silence. Merlin assumed that for Arthur, this was largely to do with the grave threat still loomed over Camelot. While Merlin was also concerned with the kingdom’s safety, he had to admit that he was missing the physical contact that he’d shared with Arthur. Unbeknownst to Merlin, Arthur was experiencing a similar sensation.

The next stage of their adventure took Merlin and Arthur into the mountains. Though spring was warming the land below, the peaks they climbed were still snowy and storms periodically rolled through. On a particularly bad night, they had no choice but to stay in a cave that they just happened to find on a mountainside. Even more conveniently, the cave was stocked with food, water and firewood. It was a clear example of ‘too good to be true.’

While the cave provided them with shelter from the brutal snowstorm, it was freezing inside, even after a fire had been burning for hours. Merlin cast a warming spell over their horses but couldn’t risk doing so with Arthur. The two men sat with their backs against the cave wall, shivering.

“I suppose that we should try to rest,” Arthur said. “Maybe the weather will let up and we can continue on in the morning.”

Merlin set out their bedrolls, his teeth chattering as he did so.

“I really don’t think I can sleep in this,” Merlin said, “and I’m a bit scared to try. What if we freeze and don’t wake up?”

“You have a point. I’ve heard stories of that happening to wayward travelers.”

Arthur thought for a moment.

“There’s only one thing for it. We’ll have to share a bedroll.”

“Share?”

“For combined warmth. From body heat.”

“That… makes sense,” Merlin acknowledged. “Gaius, uh, told me about sharing heat to treat extremely cold patients. Apparently, it works better if there is… less clothing.”

“Ah…”

Arthur fell into thoughtful contemplation for a moment while Merlin intently pondered the cave floor.

“Then there’s nothing for it. Strip down to small clothes.”

“Arthur, I…”

“Shut up, Merlin. If we freeze to death, Morgana will win and the kingdom will fall. Now strip down. For Camelot!” Arthur said this with far more bravado than he was actually feeling.

The pair removed most of their clothing in awkward silence.

“Remember, I get the left side.”

“Of course, my lord. Though we’ll have to, er, get closer for the full effect.”

“I see. That’s… logical.”

By this point in their journey they’d spent nights sharing a bed, but this occasion was different. For starters, there was the lack of clothing. They’d worn far more while sleeping at the tavern and the monastery. And there was the fact that they were intentionally bringing their bodies together. It was one thing to accidentally wake up in each other’s arms. It was quite different to deliberately hold each other close, pressing bare chests together.

And yet the strangeness didn’t last long. After a few strained moments, they relaxed into one another and fell asleep.

Merlin had the most pleasant dreams of his entire life. Though he couldn’t remember exactly what took place, he knew that Arthur was there, they were both very warm, and Merlin was immensely happy, contented magic surging through him.

Merlin awoke to the sound of birds singing and the sensation of a heavy king sprawled on top of him. Gently, he pushed Arthur off and went to glance out of the cave opening. No trace of the previous night’s storm remained. Where there had been a blizzard less than a day ago, there was now warm sunlight, lots of wildflowers, and a swarm of blue butterflies.

“Sorcery,” was all that Arthur could say when he was finally roused and looked out at the springtime splendor. Merlin couldn’t find a reason to disagree.

The pleasant weather motivated them to continue their journey. They knew that they were close to where Morgana had last been seen, so they needed to proceed with caution. Traveling carefully down the backside of the mountain, they approached a vast meadow. Nothing appeared overly threatening. The only thing out of the ordinary were strange plants with large blooms that neither Arthur nor Merlin recognized.

As they rode across the field, it became increasingly apparent that something was amiss. For the past two weeks Arthur’s focus had been, with just a few distractions, firmly on locating his sister and thwarting her plans against Camelot. Now, in the middle of this idyllic meadow, his thoughts began to wander. The kingdom and the mission began to fade from his mind. He lazily looked over at Merlin riding next to him and found that he could not take his eyes from Merlin’s lips. They were so red and inviting. He remembered kissing Merlin at the monastery. It hadn’t been enough. He needed to kiss Merlin again. He might die if he didn’t. Arthur remembered the previous night, huddled together for warmth. It felt so right. Except. There had still been too many barriers. The smallclothes had kept them apart, kept them from fully becoming one. Arthur need to get Merlin off of the horse, out of those clothes, and underneath him. It was all that mattered.

Similar thoughts plagued Merlin. He remembered the first night that they shared a bed at the awful inn and how contented he’d been to wake up in Arthur’s arms. It was where he was destined to be. And when they’d kissed… Merlin had felt something stir deep inside that had only intensified when they’d shared the bedroll last night. Only he needed more. There was an ache inside of Merlin that only Arthur could fill. Camelot, Morgana, it could all wait. They just needed to…

Pulling up alongside Merlin’s horse, Arthur reached over to wrap an arm around Merlin, who leaned into him. Their thighs brushed. Merlin reached up to run his fingers through Arthur’s hair. The king smiled at him.

“We should take a break. Let the horses rest.”

“We should. They’ve been walking for hours.”

“We could rest in this field. It’s so warm. We should take our clothes off.”

“An excellent idea. And hold each other.”

“Oh gods yes! After last night, I need to see you, to touch you, to have you.”

Merlin gasped and almost fell off his horse. In catching himself, his preoccupation with Arthur briefly lessened, allowing him to notice the cloud of pollen rising from the strange plants.

“Er… Arthur, maybe we should wait until we get out of this meadow. We should, um, find some place more secluded.”

“Only if you insist, my love.”

They rode on. Arthur continued to grope at Merlin, who tried valiantly to resist the urge to fondle his king. Eventually they made it across the meadow.

As Merlin suspected, the intensity of his erotic fantasies began to subside. The same appeared to be true for Arthur, who had suddenly become fascinated with his saddle, staring at it intently and failing to make eye contact with Merlin.

“I… um… forgive me,” Arthur said.

“There’s nothing to forgive,” Merlin replied. “I think the pollen from those plants was having an effect.”

“Well, at least you were able to get us out of there before we… Anyway, I think we should go a different way when we return home.”

They rode on in silence for the rest of the afternoon. When they stopped to camp, some of the tension began to ease. Though each man remained lost in his own thoughts, things were returning somewhat to normal. They slept further apart that night, just in case.

They rose the following morning knowing that this would be the day that they would have to confront Morgana. Before leaving their camp, Arthur turned to speak to Merlin.

“Er… how long do you think it will take for the… pollen… to fully wear off?”

“Are you still thinking about…?”

“Well not so much… that. It’s just that we’ll face my sister today. She’s a powerful sorceress who apparently hates me and wants to destroy my kingdom. It will likely be dangerous. I know we’ve been in tight spots before, Merlin, but if anything were to happen to you, I don’t know what I’d do.”

Merlin felt his ears warm a bit.

“It’s probably residual pollen, but I’d very much like to kiss you before we ride out.”

Arthur dropped his gaze and blushed.

“You’re right that it probably is aftereffects of the pollen, but Arthur, I’d very much like to kiss you as well.”

“Then should we…”

“We should.”

The kiss at the monastery had, at that point, been the most passionate, earth-moving experience of Arthur’s entire life. This kiss left that one in the dust. It was more than just lips and mouths and tongues coming together – there was love and longing and desire in it. Emotions that were deeper than Arthur knew he was capable of feeling. And while he’d initially tried to dismiss this as the influence of the pollen, the simple fact was that these feelings were honest and true. His mind wasn’t clouded. He was fully aware of the fact that he needed to try his hardest to save his kingdom but if he did perish today, he would die at least somewhat content, knowing that he’d shared this one perfect moment with Merlin. Judging from the way Merlin was grasping on to him, Merlin felt something similar.

They were interrupted by a gust of wind and a laugh. Morgana materialized, the wind pushing them apart.

“Morgana! How did you…”

“Teleportation spell, dear brother. I had to see this for myself.”

“Look, whatever you’re planning, whatever it is you want to do… I’m going to try to stop you. Not for me, but for the people of Camelot. They don’t deserve to suffer because of what our father did.”

“Oh, Arthur, you’re already too late,” Morgana crooned. “My plan has worked perfectly. You’ve succumbed to it and you don’t even know it yet.”

She raised her arm and, looking directly at Arthur whispered the words of an incantation. Her eyes glowed as she summoned a small cloud that began to gently shower Arthur in a pleasant spring rain. Or at least it would have done so if a shield charm wasn’t protecting him. Arthur turned just in time to see a similar golden glow fade from Merlin’s eyes.

“I… I don’t understand.” Arthur’s brain tried to process what had happened.

“Morgana, your nefarious plan was to make it rain on me? And Merlin, you’re a…”

Merlin gulped.

“A warlock. Have been since birth… But I use my magic for you, Arthur. Only for you. To keep you safe and out of danger. Because there’s so much danger, Arthur. Always someone or something hellbent on killing you. I just…”

Merlin tried to hold Arthur’s gaze but found himself staring at his feet instead.

“And you never thought to tell me?”

“I wanted to but…” Merlin failed at holding in a sob.

The sound was too much for Arthur. He pulled Merlin back into his arms.

“Shh… it’s going to be alright. We do need to talk and I wish that you’d told me before now but we’ll make this work. I’d already begun drafting a repeal of the ban on magic so that Morgana could come home. This just gives me even more reason to do so.”

Merlin looked up at Arthur, somewhat stunned.

“You’re going to… for me…”

As Arthur nodded, Merlin leaned forward, desperate to resume the kiss that Morgana had interrupted.

“Oi!” Morgana called. “I’m still standing here. And as Arthur just said, part of the repeal is for me. Now that my plan to destroy Uther’s legacy has succeeded, I think it’s time I went home.”

“Your plan was to have me repeal the magic ban by making me… what was your plan?”

“What is it that Merlin calls you, Arthur? A clotpole? It’s very fitting. My plan was to force you two to finally act on your feelings for one another, compel Merlin engage in some act of heroics to reveal his powers, and then have you lift the ban for him so that I could also return to Camelot. Why do you think you got thrown into so many awkward situations on your journey? I convinced a group of druids to rent all of the rooms but one in that tavern. I talked to the high priestess to let her know that you were coming. I conjured a blizzard to trap you in the cave. You were actually supposed to be there for days but Merlin apparently had warm feelings that night, as spring had arrived by morning.”

Merlin blushed.

“I am also responsible for the flowers in the meadow with their… interesting effects. They’ve now wilted, by the way. No future travelers are in danger.”

“But Morgause…”

“Morgause may technically be my half-sister but she’s not really family, Arthur, not like you are. She gave me a place to stay when I had to flee Uther but she just wanted to use me against you. I promised her that I would destroy Uther’s legacy and I did. You’re going to lift the ban on magic and you’re going to marry a man. I think that pretty much ends it.”

“Marry a man?”

“Yes, marry a man. Merlin is a man, Arthur. Try to keep up.”

“I’m going to marry Merlin?”

“You’ll have to ask him first, but I’m certain he’ll say yes. Won’t you, Merlin?”

“Um, yes?”

“Perfect. So it’s settled. We’ll stop by the monastery to invite the high priestess to Camelot for the ceremony. I’ve been thinking about the décor. It is spring, so we should have plenty of wildflowers and I insist on being your maid of honor, Arthur.”

Morgana prattled on about wedding planning as Arthur turned to Merlin.

“Do you mean it? You really want to marry me?”

“I’m supposed to say that we need to slow down, spend time on a courtship, and not let your sister push us into anything. But Arthur, since the monastery and what you said… and the kissing and the touching and… Yes, you prat, of course I’ll marry you.”

And so the trio mounted up, Morgana taking Merlin’s horse as Merlin rode behind Arthur, secretly pleased that he would get to hold his king all the way back to Camelot.

 

 

 

 


End file.
